THE SCORES…
IPSWICH 52: Danny King © 12+2, Chris Harris 9+2, Richard Lawson 8+1, Krystian Pieszczek 7, Cameron Heeps 6, David Bellego 5+2, Jake Allen 5+1. Team Manager: Ritchie Hawkins
POOLE 38: Josh Grajczonek © 11+1, Scott Nicholls (g) 9+1, Tobiasz Musielak (g) 5+1,Jack Holder 5, Nico Covatti 4, Nicolaj Busk Jakobsen 2+1, Richie Worrall 2. Team Manager: Garry May (g)
REFEREE: A. Steele
VENUE: Foxhall Stadium
MEETING SPONSORS…
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ATPS Construction
SOUTHERN GROUP SUPPORTERS CUP TABLE…
| Team | Meetings | Points |
| Ipswich | 6 | 10 |
| Swindon | 5 | 10 |
| King’s Lynn | 3 | 6 |
| Poole | 4 | 5 |
WHAT HAPPENED?
The ‘Tru Plant’ Witches comfortably beat the Poole Pirates 52-38 on Thursday night at Foxhall as they completed their Premiership Supporters Cup group stage.
The home side started strongly once again and after six heats they had built up a lead of 18 points which proved far too much for the visitors to claw back as the home side went top of the group table. Now the Witches are dependent on other results going their way if they are to progress to the final. Danny King top scored for the Witches with 12+2.
It was a great start for the home side as the duo of Richard Lawson and Chris Harris recorded a 5-1 in heat one. It got better for Ipswich in heat two as Cameron Heeps and Jake Allen continued the perfect start with another maximum in heat two. Josh Grajczonek stemmed the tide by winning heat three as the points were shared, leaving the hosts 13-5 up.
Allen came in for Heeps in heat four and the decision worked a treat as Allen went out and won and was followed home by captain King for another 5-1 as the Pirates had no answer to the Witches at this early stage. The home side kept on stretching their lead after David Bellego won heat five and although Jack Holder passed Krystian Pieszczek for second at the end of the first lap it was a Witches 4-2. It was one-way traffic and the home team banged in another 5-1 in heat six as Harris and Lawson showed what a strong partnership they are building together. That maximum put the Witches in total control and 27-9 up.
Heat seven was called back with King warned to stay still at the start. That didn’t affect the skipper though as he won the re-run, holding off Pirates guest Scott Nicholls and the points were shared despite Heeps doing all he could to get in the points. It looked like being another heat advantage to the home side in heat eight as Lawson led with Allen in third but as Allen tried to pass Richie Worrall on the final bend he fell heavily, meaning a 3-3. The Australian reserve received treatment on the track before walking back to the pits. Poole looked to be clawing back some points in heat nine as Tobias Musielak and Nico Covatti led but the Poole guest retired on the second lap meaning a 3-3 that left them 36-18 down.
The away side were slowly finding their feet and Nicholls won heat 10 with Harris second and Grajczonek third for a 4-2 to the visitors. Heeps replaced Allen in heat 11 following that heat eight crash. King won from the gate but there was a fantastic battle for second between Heeps and Holder as the pair passed and re-passed but it was the Poole number one who won the battle, meaning a 4-2 to the hosts. The Pirates did get their 5-1 in heat 12 as Musielak won and Nicholls went by Harris to get second but being 43-29 down with three to race it was too little too late.
The visitors were certainly improving as the meeting went on as Grajczonek won heat 13 but with Pieszczek and King both in the points it was a 3-3 that mathematically sealed the win for the home side. Lawson and King won the Twitter vote to represent the Witches in heat 14 whilst it was the guest duo of Musielak and Nicholls to represent Poole. There was a false start to the penultimate heat as Musielak was warned for moving at the tapes. King produced a fine first lap to win the heat and there was an almighty scrap behind him. Lawson was the early frontrunner for second, but he was passed by Nicholls and then Musielak as the heat ended in a 3-3. Pieszczek missed the two minutes for heat 15 and was replaced by Heeps. The Ipswich reserve made the gate ahead of compatriot Grajczonek with Holder in third, but Harris soon worked his way past the Poole number one. However, the Poole skipper then passed Heeps to take the win in the final heat of the night, resulting in a 3-3 that gave the Witches a 52-38 win to complete their Supporters Cup group stage meetings.
SPONSORS‘ RIDERS OF THE NIGHT…
King was chosen as the Volvo Truck and Bus Centre Rider of the Night after scoring 12+2 whilst Lawson was chosen as the ATPS Construction Rider of the Night after he scored 8+1.
KEY MOMENT…
Like on Monday at Peterborough the Witches got their work done early and in truth when they hit their fourth 5-1 in heat six thanks to Harris and Lawson, it looked unlikely that the away side would claw back an 18-point deficit.
WHAT IT MEANS…
The Witches take three points as they complete their group stage fixtures whilst the Pirates get nothing after this defeat. That result leaves the Witches top of the group on points difference, but they must now wait and see how other results go to find out if they will top the group and progress to the final. Although they sit bottom of the group, the Pirates can still progress with two meetings left to race.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The ‘Tru Plant’ Witches host the Wolverhampton Wolves at Foxhall on Monday 20th May in a Premiership fixture at 7.30pm.
AROUND THE TRACKS…
In the Premiership Belle Vue beat King’s Lynn 54-36 at the National Speedway Stadium.
